- Serves4 as a starter
- CourseStarter
- Prepare20 mins
- Cook50 mins
- Total time1 hr 10 mins
- Pluscooling
Ingredients
- 3 large aubergines
- 2½ cloves garlic, 2 skins on, ½ finely grated
- ½ lemon, juice
- 2½ tbsp Cooks’ Ingredients Tahini
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus extra to drizzle
- 1 tbsp pomegranate seeds, to serve
- Flat leaf parsley and/or mint leaves, torn, to serve
- ¼ tsp sumac, to serve
Method
Preheat the oven to 220°C, gas mark 7. Prick the aubergines a few times with a fork to stop them exploding in the oven, then place onto a baking tray. Wrap 2 whole garlic cloves in foil and place on the tray.
Roast for 45-50 minutes, turning the aubergines halfway, until the skins are blackened, wrinkled and they are soft when pressed. If you pick them up using tongs, they should fall limply and have no resistance. Remove the tray from the oven, cover with foil and allow to cool for 20 minutes
Once the aubergines are cool enough to handle, slice open and scoop out the soft flesh into a sieve or a salad spinner, discarding the skin. Spin for a few seconds or rest for 15 minutes in the sieve, pressing gently to drain off any excess liquid – this stops the baba ganoush from becoming watery.
Place the drained aubergine into a mixing bowl. Squeeze the roasted garlic cloves out of their skins and add to the aubergine flesh with the grated half garlic clove.
Using a balloon whisk, beat the aubergines until mashed, then add the lemon juice and mix until combined. Drizzle in the tahini and oil a little at a time, beating as you go. It should emulsify and become creamy. Season with a generous pinch of salt.
Taste and adjust with more lemon juice or salt if needed. Spoon into a serving bowl, swirl the top, then drizzle with a little extra oil and sprinkle with the pomegranate seeds, mint and a little sumac. This dip will keep for 4-5 days in the fridge in an airtight container, but bring it to room temperature and stir well before serving, as it may have separated.
Cook’s tip
Texture choice
I like my baba ganoush smooth and creamy, but not completely puréed, which is why a balloon whisk is perfect for emulsifying the fats without breaking down the aubergine structure too much. If you’d prefer it chunkier, use a fork instead.
What’s in a name?
Baba ganoush and moutabal are dishes from the Levant and debate surrounds what makes each unique. Aubergine is the linchpin, but recipes from across the Levant differ about whether tahini and garlic should be present, and on consistency – chunky as a salad, or smooth as a dip? Mine is a creamy, nutty, smooth dip, so my recipe is technically more similar to moutabal.
Open flame
The very best way to cook aubergines for this dish is whole on a barbecue, ideally directly over the coals. The thick skins can withstand intense heat, and the insides will melt into smoky, soft shreds, so nestle them in next time you’re grilling. Some prefer to use an open gas flame in the kitchen, but I found this method messy, and time consuming when multiple aubergines need charring. A hot oven will work just as well – just make sure you cook the aubergines until blackened and meltingly tender. You can’t over-do it, so be brave!
Nutritional
Typical values per serving when made using specific products in recipe
Energy | 920kJ/ 223kcals |
|---|---|
Fat | 19.6g |
Saturated Fat | 2.9g |
Carbohydrates | 4.1g |
Sugars | 3g |
Fibre | 4.9g |
Protein | 5.1g |
Salt | 0.3g |